


Mistake Made

by canthelpmyselves



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alcohol, Infidelity, Len Isn't Captain Cold, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-06
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-07 18:17:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15913671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canthelpmyselves/pseuds/canthelpmyselves
Summary: Oliver finds out Barry has a new boyfriend.





	Mistake Made

Oliver looked up at Felicity. “Can you say that again?” He hadn’t really been paying attention until she said ‘Barry’.

The blonde IT genius grinned merrily. “I said, Barry wants to try out that new Mediterranean restaurant tomorrow and I wanted to know if you would like to join us.”

“I didn’t know Barry was coming to Star,” Oliver mused. “Is there a problem in Central?”

Felicity shook her head as she turned back to her monitors. “No. He’s been visiting with his boyfriend.”

Oliver tensed, his grip tightening on his bow. “Boyfriend? I didn’t realize Barry was seeing someone.” He frowned slightly. “Wait, did you say he’s been visiting? How long has Barry been in town?”

“He’s been in town almost a week,” she said nonchalantly. “He came up on Tuesday to spend time with Len.”

“Len?” Oliver bit out. “Who’s Len?”

“Len Snart.” she answered. Felicity looked at him with a frown. “I thought you knew. Everyone else does. Anyway, Len’s here trying out some sort of tech that STAR Labs and Palmer Industries collaborated on, so they’re taking the opportunity to spend more quality time together away from Flash duties.”

"This guy knows he's the Flash?" Oliver growled.

Felicity nodded, eyes still scanning her screen. "Well, yeah. Len even helps out at the lab while Barry's on patrol."

Oliver’s jaw felt tight but he gave a casual shrug. “I haven’t really talked much with Barry for the past couple of months.”

Felicity snorted. “You are such a hermit. I swear, you wouldn’t talk to anyone if you didn’t need to give orders. Thea’s constantly mooning over them. I think she has a crush on Len. I don’t blame her. He’s very handsome. And very charming.” Felicity gave a tiny giggle. “They are so cute together.”

Oliver was stunned, confused and more than a little angry. What the hell had he missed? HOW had he missed it? Why hadn’t anyone ever told him any of this before now? Felicity was busy typing on her laptop and didn’t see the tension on Oliver’s face. 

“Anyway, it started about two months ago. Barry went to Coast City as part of some sort of police exchange program. They sent a CSI to Central and Barry went there. They met at a pride rally that Len's company was providing security for. They hit it off immediately.” Felicity paused and looked up thoughtfully. “Oh, wait. That was when you and Roy were chasing that last batch of Vertigo out in Gotham City. So, anyway, they’ve been dating ever since.”

“That’s… good,” Oliver said slowly. “Good. I think I will join you tomorrow. It’ll be good to see Barry while he’s in town.”

Felicity flashed him a bright smile before turning back to her work. Oliver put away his bow and headed up into Verdant. He needed a drink. Maybe a few. Anything to dull the anger, the pain, the jealousy.

Oliver crossed the empty club floor and slid behind the bar. He grabbed a bottle of vodka and a glass, filling it almost to the brim. He stared at the clear liquid for a long moment before downing it in one long gulp. 

His fault. This was his own damn fault. He refilled the glass and thought back to the night he destroyed everything.

_Barry’s eyes always reflected everything he felt. Right now they were dull, lacking the usual bright light that Oliver loved so much. Dulled by pain and betrayal. By him. He flinched when Barry’s eyes drifted over toward the bed. Over to where Sara was sitting, clutching the sheet to her naked body. Oliver swallowed, trying to keep the bile in his stomach and not his throat as Barry’s eyes then flickered over his naked form. He knew that brief glimpse didn’t miss a thing. Not a single hickie, bite or scratch from her nails went unnoticed._

_“Barry,” he whispered._

_“Goodbye,” Barry said, his voice shockingly calm._

_Before Oliver could even draw in air, Barry was gone._

_As soon as Sara was out the door, he tried to call Barry. He knew it was hopeless before he even picked up his phone. Seventeen calls, twenty-four texts and eleven voicemails went unanswered. After two days of silence he went to Central, but Cisco and Caitlin said Barry was out of town. He had gone to Earth 3 to help Kara with a problem. They didn’t treat him any different than usual, so he could only assume Barry hadn’t told them what had happened. He asked them to let him know when Barry was back, but he never got a call. Instead he got a text from Barry a week later. A cold request for him to give Barry space and time._

_He almost took a trip back to Central right then. He needed to see Barry. To explain. To tell Barry that it had been a mistake. Seeing Sara again, after years of thinking she was dead, had been wonderful, but confusing. They had gone out drinking, celebrating. He hadn’t planned to fall back into bed with her. It was a combination of alcohol, guilt and relief she was alive._

_He didn’t love Sara. He loved Barry. He knew he had screwed up. He knew he had likely lost Barry forever. That didn’t stop him from trying. From hoping._

_He had tried one last time to call Barry, only to find he had changed his phone number. Two days later a box arrived at his loft containing the one photo of the two men, the little stuffed bear he had bought Barry on a whim, the toiletries and clothes he had left at Barry’s apartment and a note._

_‘If you ever cared about me, even just a little, please stop trying to contact me.’_

He had done just that. He had backed off, hoping and praying that Barry would find some way to forgive him. That was five months ago. Five months since he last saw Barry. Heard his voice. Felt his touch. Five months of loneliness and regret. 

A gust of wind whipped over Oliver and he almost dropped his glass. His eyes immediately locked onto the gorgeous brunette standing on the other side of the bar. His heart thumped painfully in his chest and his mouth ran dry. “Barry,” he croaked softly.

“Oliver,” Barry said tensely. 

Oliver set down the glass and took a step toward the bar’s opening. Barry stiffened, his eyes flashing a warning that made Oliver still. “I...” Oliver cleared his throat awkwardly. “It’s good to see you.”

Barry crossed his arms over his chest and looked off to the side. “Felicity called and said you were joining us tomorrow. I thought it best to talk now, alone.”

“You don’t want me there,” he guessed. Barry sighed so softly he almost didn’t hear it.

“It’s… fine if you come,” Barry said carefully. “As long as we can agree on a few things.”

“Such as?” he asked.

“We don’t talk about it,” Barry answered firmly. “I’m willing to put it in the past. To move past what happened. But I am not willing to air our dirty laundry in front of Felicity or Len.”

“You don’t want them to know we were a couple,” he said, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice. Strangely enough, that had always been a point of contention in their relationship. He had wanted it to remain a secret while Barry had always wanted to tell their friends and family.

“I don’t care if Felicity and Len find out,” Barry corrected. “We were having sex. You chose to have sex with someone else, so we stopped having sex. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over and done. I won’t make things uncomfortable for Len, though. He doesn’t know Felicity well and he doesn’t know you at all. I would like to have a pleasant meal with friends.”

“Friends?” Oliver whispered. “Is that all we are, now?”

“Barely even that,” Barry snapped, a hint of emotion finally breaking through the stoic mask he wore. He paused and took a deep breath. After a few seconds he sort of deflated. “I don’t hate you, Oliver. I’m not sure I could ever hate you. But you hurt me badly. Maybe it’s my own fault. I knew your reputation. I just… I thought things would be different with us.”

Oliver desperately wanted to jump over the bar and pull Barry into his arms. He needed to show Barry how much he loved him. To make Barry love him once again. “I fucked up,” he said in a strangled voice. “God, Barry, I really fucked up. You have to believe me, though. I love you. What happened with Sara was a mistake. Too much guilt, too many drinks… I never meant for it to happen.”

“But it did,” Barry pointed out sadly. “And I can’t trust you not to do it again. I won’t lie. I still care about you. I can even forgive you. But I won’t trust you with my heart again.”

Oliver watched Barry turn to leave and it shattered the small ball of hope he still carried. “Do you love him?” he asked quietly.

Barry paused, his back still facing Oliver. A soft reply reached his ears after Barry sped out of the club in a trail of red lightning and rushing wind.

“I think I could.”


End file.
